Danfoss, the renowned global industrial group based in Denmark, made a significant impact at Electra Mining Africa 2024, one of the continent's leading mining and industrial exhibitions. Held from September 2 to 6 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, this free-to-attend event saw Danfoss unveil its latest innovations, sustainable solutions, and its ongoing commitment to assisting the African mining industry on its path to decarbonisation.
"The global mining sector currently finds itself in the position of performing a balancing act: on the one hand striving to reach zero-net emissions before 2025, and on the other still having to increase production to meet growing demand,” explained Craig Rapson, Global Business Development Director for Mining, Minerals, and Cement at Danfoss South Africa.
Rapson highlighted the International Energy Agency's (IEA) projection that mineral requirements for clean energy technologies would need to quadruple by 2040 to meet the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius. Given the energy-intensive nature of mining and minerals processing, this anticipated rise in production would inevitably lead to increased energy demand—a scenario at odds with the goals of future decarbonisation.
"Transforming the way we supply energy to mines will be crucial to meeting these sustainability goals," Rapson continued. "However, achieving a large-scale transition to alternative energy sources such as solar PV, wind, electrolysers, and energy storage systems will require significant investment. It’s also important to remember that these alternatives alone won’t make mining processes more energy-efficient."
Despite the daunting challenges, Rapson suggested that there were immediate, cost-effective steps mining companies could take to boost productivity sustainably. These included enhancing system reliability, implementing proactive maintenance programmes, monitoring critical assets with intelligent performance tools, and optimising systems to achieve superior performance and efficiency.
Rapson also pointed to the significant potential of variable speed drives (VSDs) in reducing global energy consumption. With electric motors accounting for 50 to 75 percent of global electrical energy use, depending on the region and industry, VSDs offered a powerful tool for energy savings.
"While VSDs are not new, recent technological advancements have been remarkable, offering increased efficiency, a smaller footprint, and intelligent functionality," Rapson noted. "Although VSDs are not a panacea for our CO2 challenges, when applied optimally in mining applications without compromising production, the benefits become evident."
At Electra Mining Africa 2024, Rapson delivered a presentation titled ‘Minimising Investment to Support the Long-Term Drive to Net Zero’, discussing the crucial role of VSDs and other innovations in reducing energy consumption and emissions in the mining sector.
Practical solutions for mining
Danfoss’s contribution to the mining sector focused on enhancing operational efficiencies, minimising environmental impact, and ensuring the longevity and reliability of mining equipment, according to Sikantha Naidoo, Senior Country Sales Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at Danfoss.
"As a technology partner committed to helping customers decarbonise through energy efficiency, machine productivity, lower emissions, and electrification, Danfoss used Electra Mining Africa 2024 to showcase its iC7 series, which represented a significant leap forward in VSD technology, designed specifically for harsh environments."
The iC7 series was engineered to boost efficiency and reliability, enabling mining companies to meet their energy efficiency targets while maintaining operational excellence. With a focus on reducing CO2 emissions and saving energy, the iC7 range was compact, easy to integrate into existing systems, and featured efficient heat management with back-channel cooling. Additionally, it offered industrial IoT readiness, with hardware-based protection against unauthorised access and a crypto chip for secure, end-to-end encrypted data transfer.
"We also highlighted Danfoss’s full suite of mining solutions, including harmonic filters and advanced power systems, which are essential for improving performance and reducing downtime," Naidoo added.
Beyond its technological offerings, Danfoss underscored its commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. "Sustainability is at the core of our business and value chain," Naidoo said. "We are transforming our operations to address global megatrends such as climate change, urbanisation, food and water supply, digitalisation, and electrification. These trends are driving societal and environmental changes that impact the world we operate in."
Danfoss integrated sustainability and ESG principles into every aspect of its operations—from engineering solutions for customers to attracting talent to lead the green transition. The company defined three key focus areas for sustainability: decarbonisation, circularity, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
